by Brent Tyman
It seemed to resemble some kind of a Wolf, though somehow twisted in its form. Its black fur looked unkempt and its claws were far longer than any normal Wolf’s. Even its size was bigger than any Wolf I had encountered before.
The fact that it had managed to knock over Oliver, a seasoned Yunissan veteran, was a surprise.
“If need be, I will lend my sword to the fight,” I said, but all the soldiers vehemently shook their heads.
“No, my Lady, you must get to safety,” one of the soldiers said.
“But…”
“Listen to them, my Lady,” Oliver said. “Lorn would not suggest you flee, if the situation were not dire.”
“We can fight our way to the pack horses at the back of the column,” Lorn said. “And proceed from there.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Oliver said. “Come, My Lady.”
I followed the soldiers, with Oliver sticking close by my side as we raced back to the horses.
The sun had already set, and we would have likely camped for the night in only an hour or so, had this attack not occurred. I could hardly see the dirt path beneath my boots, never mind the tree line of the surrounding forest.
Soldiers were fighting the same monsters that had attacked us in the carriage, defeating them time and time again, only to be overwhelmed by their unending numbers. I watched as a seasoned veteran was taken by the ankle and dragged towards the darkness of the forest.
Several other soldiers chased after him. They did not return.
One of the monsters spotted our group and darted towards us. I prepared myself for its attack before Oliver stepped in its path and drove his sword through its mouth into its skull, instantly dispatching it.
“It isn’t much further, My Lady,” Lorn assured me.
“Where will we go after this?” I asked, keeping an eye on my surroundings.
“We do not know what lays before us. Several reports suggest the beasts are coming from our front,” Lorn admitted. “That means we’ll have to travel back along the way we came, towards Tringall.”
“You know we can’t go back there,” Oliver snapped. “After…”
“Some of my Clan members have reported that the city still stands,” Lorn said.
“Impossible…” Oliver breathed.
“What are you two babbling about?” I demanded. “Everyone has been acting strangely ever since my Father ordered us to leave Tringall. What do you know?”
Both men looked at each other but didn’t offer a response to my question. The urge to stop and demand some answers came to mind, but that was the last thing I wanted to do in the midst of this precarious situation.
We finally reached the horses, a section of the column which seemed to be largely untouched by the monsters thus far. Several soldiers hustled to remove the supplies from a number of horses when an ear-piercing screech filled the air.
I looked behind us to see a figure approach from the shadows.
It wore strange armor that seemed to blend in with the darkness surrounding it. Whatever it was, it held a black sword in its hand. Strange symbols were etched into its armor, and spikes jutted from its shoulder pauldrons and its greaves.
“You… cannot… escape…” the figure shrilled before launching itself at me. I unsheathed my sword and assumed a defensive posture, but Oliver rushed forward to meet our foe.
Their swords clashed together before Lorn and rest of the soldiers joined in. I wanted to help, but then the unthinkable happened.
Several of the soldiers froze, some even in mid swing. The figure cut them down where they stood. I watched as Lorn fell, unmoving, to the ground.
Even Oliver’s movements slowed. Somehow, he still managed to strike the figure’s shoulder, causing it to hiss for a moment before it retaliated with an almost negligent backhand. Oliver spun and toppled to the ground, his nose bloodied by the blow.
“Run, my Lady!” Oliver shouted as the figure loomed over him, its sword raised.
I could feel my voice catching in my throat as I stared at him. It took all of my willpower to turn around and leap onto the horse the soldiers had just finished unloading. All the horses were uneasy with the chaos swirling around us, but had been trained well.
It didn’t protest as I grabbed its reins and urged it to a trot.
Before I fled, I summoned a bit of lightning to my hand and thrust it back towards the shadowy figure. The last thing I saw was Oliver grabbing his sword and turning, still on his back, to defend against the figure’s final blow.
All that was left behind me was darkness.
The horse galloped back the way we had come. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do in Tringall, or even what might have happened there. All I knew was that I needed to get help.
And after seeing the power in that shadowy figure, as it cut down my soldiers as a farmer might mow down wheat with a scythe, I knew there was only one party that might be strong enough to face it.
I only hoped they would listen to me…
??? - ???
I looked around at the throne room, tilting my head to view the decor the humans had placed within it. Several of these odd paintings had been destroyed in a fit of rage by my lower Kin, but some still remained.
“Intriguing, isn’t it, my Kin?” a voice asked, and I turned to see Raedrana at my side.
“I still do not understand its purpose. Do these scenes represent victories the humans achieved in ages past?” I asked.
“No, my Kin,” she replied. “They are simply decoration, nothing more.”
“A pity,” I retorted, turning to inspect a particular painting more closely. “I would have been duly impressed if the ancestors of these humans had truly managed to slay a Terronka, as the painting suggests.”
Raedrana clearly had other matters to discuss, and I flicked a hand, giving her leave to speak her mind.
“Our efforts in the nations of the north have begun again, we should hear back soon.”
“The same human as last time?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, a different one, yet of the same status.”
“And do we know how the human survived the poisoning?”
“No, my Kin, we do not,” Raedrana replied, her expression unmoving.
I turned away from her, staring at the throne the previous human king of this nation had once sat on.
“And what of the human king’s daughter… the Chosen whelp. Tell me you have found her.”
Raedrana had grown quiet.
I spun to see her looking away from me. “Fesroka has not reported back in weeks. I believe he has perished.”
I clenched my fist at the news and sat down on the throne, facing Raedrana.
“This human nation fell easily to our efforts. Have our Kin prepare to move north. Once the northern nations fall, we will turn our attention across the sea, where the nations of Dwarfs, Elves and Beastkin are in abundance. Even now, they sully our Kin with their constant exploitation of the Dungeon.”
“And what of the Demons? Even now, they resist every effort we make to get them to join us and grow more powerful by the day. Their masters have no love for our Kin,” Raedrana said.
I closed my eyes and tuned myself to the Dungeon below. Fire and death were all I could see on the floors where the Demons continued their illogical and merciless fight against our Kin.
They had grown bolder with each passing day.
“We will focus on the humans and all who dwell in their domain before we turn and deal with these Demons,” I ordered.
Raedrana offered me the slightest of nods before she turned and walked away, leaving me alone to brood in the throne room. Soon, all of my Kin would be free to roam the surface once more, as we had done in ages past.
The Kin who dwelled on the surface had grown soft during our… time in the Dungeon. But we were stronger, now, and the surfaces races were weak.
Far too weak to resist us.
END OF BOOK 2
Afterword
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the second book for this series!
Hope you enjoyed this one too. It was pretty fun to write, and I can’t wait to jump into writing the next book.
It would be much appreciated if you could leave a review on this book, it definitely helps inspire me on getting the next book out.
Seriously, they help so much!
If you would like to take a look, my other series also connect with this universe and for those that have read my previous books, I hope you enjoyed the references to them!
I also have a mailing list now, too. If you want to get informed of new releases from me then please feel free to sign up here.
If you would like to reach me, for any reason at all, drop me a line on my email at: [email protected]
Or contact me on Facebook here.
As it is with all my books, a little quiz to get your thoughts churning on the story.
How much did you think Alex’s stats grew in that last battle against the Hydra?
What could that artifact scroll they found be about?
What could be the purpose of that peal they found?
What exactly has the Overlord done?
Where could those beings in the last epilogue be located?
How fast can Anny really go?
Thank you and stay safe!
Appendix
Alex and the Ladies
Alex - Our protagonist with hazel eyes, brown hair and gets called handsome all the time. RPG’s are his bread and butter, and he can’t get enough of them. If there’s RPG mechanics to take advantage off, chances are Alex will be right around the corner.
Juliana – Juliana Vos Tasberg, the heir of the Tasberg Sovereignty. Extremely formal on good days but that seems to be slipping fast the longer she eyes Alex. With long dark brown hair, emerald eyes and a generous endowment of breasts, her beauty would have anyone stunned in their tracks.
Clarissa – Clarissa Vos Hoganna, heir to the Hoganna Federation. A fancy title but Clarissa is more interest in a particular man that has come into her life. With flowing blonde hair, blue eyes and an endowment that even exceeds Juliana, it makes sense no one can resist her charms. Her sultry attitude is quite the bonus too.
Anny – Anny likes to just be called Anny but her given name of Anaisia Fardonna is nothing to sneeze at. If she entered a marathon, it would likely be over before the first person has taken a step. Sporting short black hair and brown eyes, Anny has proven to be an invaluable addition to the Clan. Did I mention she was fast?
Aurielle – Aurielle Tres Luxsuma, a duty bound Chosen from the South Pralisian Deserts. Honor means a lot to her and she wishes to return to her homeland one day and save it from whatever ails it. Some might say she is pretty overpowered. With flowing red hair, brown eyes and incredible beauty, I would tend to agree.
Known Stats and Skills
Alex Augere
Strength: 146
Speed: 3
Defense: 97
Magical Power: 56
Magical Capacity: 3
Luck: 1
Magic Spells:
Dynamic Healing - Heal a target for a range of ailments at significant magical cost.
Blast Currents - Summon forth a powerful blast of wind towards a target. Air currents can be altered to a desired shape.
Icy Cloud of Larothenia - Order the crystallized ice of old to do your bidding. Its grasp cold and hollow.
Skills:
Growth: Increased growth for a selected stat
Clarissa Vos Hoganna
Strength: 116
Speed: 38
Defense: 113
Magical Power: 104
Magical Capacity: 63
Luck: 8
Skills:
Royal Born - Start life with a base of five in all Stats.
Healing Touch - Base healing is doubled for all healing spells.
Anaisia Fardonna
Strength: 81
Speed: 72
Defense: 9
Magical Power: 35
Magical Capacity: 9
Luck: 3
Skills:
Pathfinding - Always know the way forward, and know those in your way.
Aurielle Tres Luxsuma
Strength: 162
Speed: 119
Defense: 189
Magical Power: 123
Magical Capacity: 114
Luck: 4
Skills:
Seer Born - Start life with a base of three in all Stats plus an additional two in Magical Power.
Chosen - Unlocks access to Ethereal magic and boosts Magical Power and Capacity by one hundred.
Magic Spells:
Gravity Cascade - Exponentially increase the force of gravity on a target.
Gravity Suppress - Weaken the target’s hold on gravity.
Ethereal Spear - Summon a spear made from the Almighty’s scattered light. Can be cast multiple times in succession.
Ethereal Blink - Teleport short distances based on the range of your Magical Capacity.
Groups
Here are some links to groups that might be useful to you.
There is the Harem lit facebook group you can go to for more books of the harem genre.
Plus, we have the GameLit Society group for books with game elements.
And to top it all off, the LitRPG books group for LitRPG’s books, although the clue is in the name.
LitRPG Group
To learn more about LitRPG, talk to authors including myself, and just have an awesome time, please join the LitRPG Group.
